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			{{About\|the mountain\|the Regional District\|Regional District of Mount Waddington, British Columbia}}
	{{Infobox Mountain
			{{short description\|Mountain in British Columbia, Canada}}
	\| Name = Mount Waddington
			{{Infobox mountain
	\| Photo = Mount Waddington.jpg
	\| ~~Caption~~ = Mount Waddington ~~(far background, center) viewed from a distance~~		\| name = Mount Waddington
	\| ~~Elevation~~ = {{~~convert~~\|~~4019~~\|~~m\|ft\|0\|lk=on~~}}		\| native_name = {{native name\|coo\|xʷoʔoxʷ}}
			\| photo = File:Mount Waddington (250499056).jpg
	\| Location = ]
			\| photo_caption =
	\| Range = ]
			\| elevation_m = 4019
	\| Prominence = {{convert\|3289\|m\|ft\|0\|abbr=on}}<ref name=cme> in the ''Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia''</ref>
			\| elevation_ref = <ref name=cme>{{cite bivouac\|id=21\|name=Mount Waddington\|access-date=2008-12-31}}</ref>
	\| Coordinates = {{coor dms\|51\|22\|30\|N\|125\|15\|30\|W\|type:mountain_region:CA}}
			\| prominence_m = 3289
	\| Topographic map = ] 92N/06
			\| prominence_ref = <ref name=cme/>
	\| First ascent = 1936 by ] and William House
			\| parent_peak =
	\| Easiest route = Rock/ice climb
			\| range = ]
			\| listing = {{unbulleted list
			\|] 63rd
			\|] 115th
			\|] 12th
			\|] 26th
			\|] 19th
			}}
			\| location = ]
			\| district = Range 2 Coast Land District
			\| map = Canada British Columbia
			\| map_caption = Location in British Columbia
			\| label_position = right
			\| mapframe = yes
			\| mapframe-zoom = 8
			\| mapframe-caption = Interactive map of Mount Waddington
			\| coordinates = {{coord\|51\|22\|25\|N\|125\|15\|48\|W\|type:mountain_region:CA-BC_scale:100000\|format=dms\|display=inline,title}}
			\| coordinates_ref = <ref name=cgndb>{{cite cgndb\|id=JCUGM\|name=Mount Waddington\|access-date=2021-07-31}}</ref>
			\| topo_maker = ] \| topo_map = {{Canada NTS Map Sheet\|92\|N\|6}}<ref name=cgndb/>
			\| first_ascent = 1936 by ] and ]<ref name=Scott_fa/>
			\| easiest_route = Rock/ice climb
	}}		}}
	'''Mount Waddington''' , otherwise known as Mount Wadders, is the highest peak in the ]. It and the subrange which surround it, the ], stand at the heart of the ], which is to say it is in a remote and extremely difficult set of mountains and stupendous river valleys.

			'''Mount Waddington''', once known as '''Mystery Mountain''', is the highest peak in the ] of ], ]. Although it is lower than ] and ], which straddle the United States border between ] and British Columbia, Mount Waddington is the highest peak that lies entirely within British Columbia.<ref name=bcgnis>{{Cite bcgnis\|id=38556 \|title=Mount Waddington\|access-date=2015-01-13}}</ref> It and the subrange which surround it, known as the ], stand at the heart of the ], a remote and extremely rugged set of mountains and river valleys.
	It is not so far north as its extreme arctic-like conditions might indicate and Mount Waddington and its attendant peaks pose some of the most serious expedition mountaineering to be had in ] — and some of the most extreme relief and spectacular mountain scenery.

			It is not as far north as its extreme Arctic-like conditions might indicate, and Mount Waddington and its attendant peaks pose some of the most serious expedition mountaineering to be had in ] — and some of the most extreme relief and spectacular mountain scenery.
	From Waddington's 13,000'-plus fang to sea level at the heads of ] and ]s is only a few miles; across the 10,000 foot deep gorges of the ] and the ]s stand mountains almost as high, and icefields even vaster and whiter, only a few aerial miles away, with a maw deeper than the ], comparable in relief to the ] (to which the terrain of British Columbia was compared by colonial-era travellers).

			From Waddington's {{convert\|4019\|m\|ft\|abbr=on}} fang to sea level at the heads of ] and ]s is only about 32 kilometers; across the {{convert\|3000\|m\|ft\|adj=mid\|-deep}} gorges of the ] and the ]s stand mountains almost as high, and icefields even vaster and whiter, only a few aerial miles away, with a maw deeper than the ], comparable in relief to the ] (to which the terrain of British Columbia was compared by colonial-era travellers).
	==History==
	In ], while on a trip to ], ], ] and ] spotted what they believed to be a peak taller than ], the then accepted tallest peak entirely within ]. In the words of Don Munday
	"The compass showed the alluring peak stood along a line passing a little east of ] and perhaps 150 miles away, where blank spaces on the map left ample room for many nameless mountains."<ref name="Munday">Munday p4</ref> While there is some debate as to whether the peak they saw was indeed Mount Waddington (in fact Don Munday himself observed that the feat is impossible<ref>Fairley p 59</ref>), they almost certainly saw a peak in the ], and this led the Mundays to explore that area, and discover the mountain in fact.

			Mount Waddington is the namesake of the ], which takes in the seaward slope of the Waddington Range and the adjoining coastline and parts of northern Vancouver Island adjacent to ].
	Over the next decade, the Mundays mounted several expeditions into the area in an attempt to climb it. Known to them as "The Mystery Mountain", in ] the height was measured at 13,260 feet (by triangulation)<ref name="Munday">Munday p.124</ref>, and the Canadian Geographic Board gave it the name Mount Waddington after ] who was a proponent of a railway through the ] valley. They reached the lower summit in ], deeming the main summit too risky.

	== ~~Precipitation~~ and ~~weather~~ ==		==Discovery and exploration by Europeans==
			]
	The ] massif is known for fierce as well as unpredictable weather, located as it is at the brunt of the warm, wet winds that soak the British Columbia Coast, of which it is the highest point. Precipitation levels in the area of the peak are among the highest in the ], although higher-rainfall locations exist elsewhere, such as at ] and in other locations on ] and in the ].
			In 1925, while on a trip to ], ], ] and ] spotted what they believed to be a peak taller than ], the then accepted tallest peak entirely within ]. In the words of Don Munday, "The compass showed the alluring peak stood along a line passing a little east of ] and perhaps 150 miles away, where blank spaces on the map left ample room for many nameless mountains."<ref name="Munday">Munday p. 4</ref> While there is debate as to whether the peak they saw was Mount Waddington (Don Munday observed that the feat is impossible),<ref>Fairley p. 59</ref> they almost certainly saw a peak in the ], and this led the Mundays to explore that area.

			Over the next decade, the Mundays mounted several expeditions into the area in an attempt to climb it.<ref name="NP">{{cite news \|last1=O'Connor \|first1=Joe \|title=The search for B.C.'s Mystery Mountain: Experts said it didn't exist — then Don and Phyllis Munday found it \|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-search-for-b-c-s-mystery-mountain-experts-said-it-didnt-exist-then-don-and-phyllis-munday-found-it \|access-date=2 July 2018 \|newspaper=National Post \|date=2 July 2018}}</ref> Known to them as "The Mystery Mountain", in 1927 the height was measured at 13,260 feet by triangulation;<ref>Munday p. 124</ref> they reached the lower, north-west, summit on 8 July 1928, deeming the main summit too risky.<ref name="Scott">Chic Scott (2000), ''Pushing the Limits: The Story of Canadian Mountaineering'', Rocky Mountain Books, {{ISBN\|9780921102595}}, p. 111-112.</ref> On their recommendation the ] named the peak Mount Waddington after ] who was a proponent of a road route, known as ], and again later ], via the ] valley and ], which would connect to Vancouver Island via ].

			In the summer of 1934, two expeditions attempted to climb the mountain. The first expedition, made up of climbers from ], made their attempt on the northwestern flank which had not been explored by the Mundays. After crossing ] and making their way down the Homathko River, they then spent two days constructing a bridge over Nude Creek before reaching the ] on June 23. It took them three days to reach the shoulder of Mt. Waddington at {{convert\|3200\|m\|ft\|-1\|abbr=on}}. They attempted the summit on June 28 but poor weather and route conditions on the final tower forced them to retreat, {{convert\|180\|m\|ft\|-1\|abbr=on}} from the top.<ref>Scott, pp. 113-114</ref> The second expedition, consisting of climbers ], Alan Lambert, Alec Dalgleish and Eric Brooks from British Columbia, made their attempt from the southeast.<ref name=scott114>Scott, p. 114</ref><ref name="Dalgleish">{{cite web\|url=https://hikeinwhistler.com/index.php/hiking-glossary/524-alec-dalgleish\|title=Alec Dalgleish\|website=HikeInWhistler.com\|access-date=2021-07-29}}</ref> On June 23, they established their base camp on the ].<ref name=scott114>Scott, p. 114</ref> The ascent abruptly ended three days later when Dalgleish fell to his death from the southeast ridge.<ref name=scott114>Scott, p. 114</ref><ref name="Dalgleish"/>

			In 1935, a group of climbers from the Sierra Club of California made three attempts from their base camp at the ]. The group failed in two attempts on the south face due to stormy conditions, poor route conditions and falling ice. Two climbers succeeded in reaching the northwest summit (first climbed by the Mundays) on a third attempt but proceeded no further.<ref name=scott114/>

			==First ascent==
			On July 4, 1936, ], ], ] and ] reached the head of the ]. For the next twelve days they ferried loads to their base camp at Icefall Point on the Dais Glacier. While on the glacier, they were joined by another expedition led by members of the ] and the ]. Wiessner and House agreed to allow the others a first chance at the summit but this group failed to find a route up the south face.<ref name=Scott_fa>Scott, pp. 114-116</ref>

			On July 20, Wiessner and House first attempted the line of a great ] that comes directly down between the main summit tower and the northwest peak. It was an excellent line for quickly ascending but they were unable to traverse onto the south face proper due to poor rock conditions and were forced to retreat to base camp. By 3 am the next morning they were already climbing up a couloir to the right of the face. Good weather the past few days had cleared most of the snow away from the ledges making for good climbing conditions. Following the left branch of the couloir, they reached a snow patch in the middle of the face. The final {{convert\|1000\|ft\|m\|-1\|abbr=on}} of the south face then presented a fierce hurdle of "sheer forbidding-looking rocks" as noted by Wiessner. While Wiessner initially started in boots, he quickly changed to ]s and gave his ice axe and extra rope to House. Wiessner led several pitches up technically difficult rock including several overhangs. After traversing east across the face they rested on a ledge just below the southeastern ridge, a full 9 hours since leaving the snow patch on the south face. After climbing a short chimney they finally reached the small snowy mass at the top, 13 hours after their start in base camp. They aborted their earlier plan of descending the shorter north face and retraced their ascent line, reaching their tent on the Dais Glacier at 2 am. The ascent to the summit and back to base camp had taken over 23 hours.<ref name=Scott_fa/><ref>{{cite journal \| title = The First Ascent Mt Waddington \| journal =Alpine Journal\| date=1937\| issn= 0065-6569 \| first =Fritz H. \| last = Weissner \| volume =#49 \| pages= 49–57 \| access-date =17 October 2024 \|url = https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1937_files/AJ49%2049-57%20Weissner%201st%20Ascent%20Mt%20Waddington.pdf }}</ref>

			==Notable ascents==
			* 1936 ''South Face'' FA by ] and Bill House.
			* 1942 ''South Face'' 2nd ascent by Helmut and ].<ref name="Currens 1978 549–550">{{cite aaj \| last = Currens \| first = Kenneth \| title = Mount Waddington, South Face, Third Ascent \| volume = 21 \| issue = 52 \| pages = 549–550 \| location = New York, NY, USA \| year = 1978
			\| article_id = 12197854904\| access-date=2021-07-31}}</ref>
			* 1960 ''Bravo Glacier'' ascent by ] who did not summit after being killed by an avalanche.<ref>{{Cite aaj \|title=British Columbia, Mount Waddington \|article_id=13196100800 \|access-date=2022-04-28 \|links=off}}</ref>
			* 1977 ''South Face variation'' FA of route, 3rd ascent of south face by Jack Tackle and Kenneth Currens.<ref name="Currens 1978 549–550"/>
			* 2012 ''Flavelle-Lane Route'' First solo ascent of the peak by ].<ref name="AAJ 2013">{{cite aaj\|last=Haley\|first=Colin\|article_id=13201212158\|title=Mt. Waddington to Mt. Asperity, high peaks solo traverse; first solo ascents\|year=2013\|links=off\|access-date=23 June 2018}}</ref>
			* 2019 The first ''complete traverse of the West Ridge'' by Simon Richardson and Ian Welsted who completed a 12km traverse of Mount Waddington, starting from Fury Gap at its western end, crossing bith the north-west and main summits and finishing at Rainy Knob on the eastern side of the mountain.<ref>{{cite aaj \| title = Mt. Waddington, Complete West Ridge \| date=2020\| issn= 0065-6925 \| first =Simon \| last = Richardson \| isbn= 9780999855683 \| volume =#62 \|issue = 94 \| pages= \| access-date =18 October 2024 \|article_id = 13201215312 \| links=off }}</ref>

			== Climate ==
			The ] massif is known for fierce as well as unpredictable weather, located as it is at the brunt of the warm, wet winds that soak the British Columbia Coast, of which it is the highest point. Precipitation levels in the area of the peak are among the highest in the ].<ref>{{cite journal \|last1= Neff \|first1= P.\|last2= Steig\|first2= E.\|last3= Clark \|first3= D.\|last4=McConnell\|first4=J.\|last5=Pettit\|first5=E.\|last6=Menounos\|first6=B.\|
			date= 2012\|title= Ice-core net snow accumulation and seasonal snow chemistry at a temperate-glacier site: Mount Waddington, southwest British Columbia, Canada\|journal= Journal of Glaciology\|volume=58 \|issue= 212\|pages=1165–1175 \|doi= 10.3189/2012JoG12J078\|bibcode= 2012JGlac..58.1165N\|doi-access= free}}</ref> The peak has an ] (]).<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.climatewna.com/ClimateBC_Map.aspx\|title=ClimateBC_Map\|website=www.climatewna.com\|access-date=2019-01-27}}</ref>

			In 2010 and again in 2023, scientists successfully drilled ice cores at Combatant Col, the saddle between Mt. Waddington and ], to obtain a climate and environmental record from the ice covering the last few hundred years. The 2023 core reached 219 meters in depth, at or near the base of the ice.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-glacier-science-climate-change\|title=Unearthing climate history frozen in time\|website=Globe and Mail\|date=2023-11-05\|access-date=2023-11-09}}</ref>

			{{Weather box
			\|location = Mount Waddington Peak 1981-2010 (51.372 -125.262)
			\|metric first = yes
			\|single line = yes
			\|Jan high C = -9.6
			\|Feb high C = -10.4
			\|Mar high C = -9.8
			\|Apr high C = -8.5
			\|May high C = -4.6
			\|Jun high C = -2.1
			\|Jul high C = 1.0
			\|Aug high C = 1.7
			\|Sep high C = -0.2
			\|Oct high C = -4.8
			\|Nov high C = -9.0
			\|Dec high C = -9.9
			\|year high C =
			\|Jan mean C= -12.6
			\|Feb mean C= -13.8
			\|Mar mean C= -13.6
			\|Apr mean C= -12.1
			\|May mean C= -8.1
			\|Jun mean C= -5.2
			\|Jul mean C= -2.1
			\|Aug mean C= -0.8
			\|Sep mean C= -2.3
			\|Oct mean C= -7.6
			\|Nov mean C= -12.2
			\|Dec mean C= -13.2
			\|year mean C=
			\|Jan low C = -15.6
			\|Feb low C = -17.3
			\|Mar low C = -17.3
			\|Apr low C = -15.7
			\|May low C = -11.7
			\|Jun low C = -8.3
			\|Jul low C = -5.1
			\|Aug low C = -3.2
			\|Sep low C = -4.3
			\|Oct low C = -10.3
			\|Nov low C = -15.4
			\|Dec low C = -16.5
			\|year low C =
			\|precipitation colour=green
			\|Jan precipitation mm = 592
			\|Feb precipitation mm = 382
			\|Mar precipitation mm = 403
			\|Apr precipitation mm = 349
			\|May precipitation mm = 123
			\|Jun precipitation mm = 115
			\|Jul precipitation mm = 130
			\|Aug precipitation mm = 144
			\|Sep precipitation mm = 164
			\|Oct precipitation mm = 676
			\|Nov precipitation mm = 721
			\|Dec precipitation mm = 586
			\|year precipitation mm =
			\|source 1 = http://www.climatewna.com/ClimateBC_Map.aspx
			\|date=October 2017
			}}

	== Access ==		== Access ==
	To reach Mount Waddington, one could take a long approach originating from ], with the bulk of the journey ~~comprising~~ of a long boat ride through the ] and the ], taking up to three days. A shorter water approach from Port McNeill, British Columbia, a northern community of Vancouver Island accessible by scheduled daily air connections and/or road from Victoria, reducing the water journey to less than a day may be undertaken.		To reach Mount Waddington, one could take a long approach originating from ], with the bulk of the journey consisting of a long boat ride through the ] and the ], taking up to three days. A shorter water approach from ], British Columbia, a northern community of Vancouver Island accessible by scheduled daily air connections and/or road from Victoria, reducing the water journey to less than a day may be undertaken.

	Alternately trails and rough roads do exist from the ] side of the range, and may be accessed via BC Highway 20, from ], departing from the main route to ] at Tatla Lake to connect to the ] and up a side creek or glacier from there. This inland route is also the access route for the neighbouring ] and ]s.		Alternately trails and rough roads do exist from the ] side of the range, and may be accessed via BC Highway 20, from ], departing from the main route to ] at Tatla Lake to connect to the ] and up a side creek or glacier from there. This inland route is also the access route for the neighbouring ] and ]s.

	Mount Waddington is a popular destination among mountain climbers since it is the highest peak in the Coast Mountains and a challenging climb. It has been compared to ]'s structure.		Mount Waddington is a popular destination among mountain climbers since it is the highest peak in the Coast Mountains and a challenging climb. It has been compared to ]'s structure.{{Citation needed\|date=March 2008}}<!--by whom?-->

	==~~Notes~~==		==See also==
			{{Portal\|North America\|Canada\|Mountains}}
	<references />
			*]
			**]
			***]
			***]
			*]
			{{clear}}

	==References==		==References==
			{{Reflist}}
	* {{cite book

	\| last = Munday
			;Sources
	\| first = Don
			* {{cite book \| last = Munday \| first = Don \| author-link = Don Munday \| title = The Unknown Mountain \| publisher = Coyote Books \| year = 1993 \| isbn = 0-9692457-4-2}}
	\| authorlink = Don Munday
			* {{cite book \| last = Fairley \| first = Bruce \| author-link = Bruce Fairley \| title = The Canadian Mountaineering Anthology \| publisher = Lone Pine \| year = 1994 \| isbn = 1-55105-041-2 \| url-access = registration \| url = https://archive.org/details/canadianmountain0000unse }}
	\| title = The Unknown Mountain
			* {{cite book \| last = Scott \| first = Chic \| title = Pushing the Limits: The Story of Canadian Mountaineering \| publisher = Rocky Mountain Books \| location = Calgary \| year = 2000 \| isbn = 0-921102-59-3 \| url-access = registration \| url = https://archive.org/details/pushinglimitssto0000scot }}
	\| publisher = Coyote Books
	\| series =
	\| year = 1993
	\| pages=
	\| chapter=
	\| isbn = 0-9692457-4-2}}
	* {{cite book
	\| last = Fairley
	\| first = Bruce
	\| authorlink = Bruce Fairley
	\| title = The Canadian Mountaineering Anthology
	\| publisher = Lone Pine
	\| series =
	\| year = 1994
	\| pages=
	\| chapter=
	\| isbn = 1-55105-041-2}}

	==External links==		==External links==
			{{sister project links}}
	* on Peakware.com
			*{{cite peakware\|id=263\|name=Mount Waddington}}
			*{{Cite bcgnis\|id=38556 \|title=Mount Waddington}}
			* Mt. Waddington aerial photo:

			{{NA highest}}{{NA prominent}}{{NA isolated}}
			{{Pacific Ranges}}
			{{Topics on British Columbia}}
			{{Authority control}}

			{{DEFAULTSORT:Waddington, Mount}}
	]
	]		]
	]		]
			]

Latest revision as of 19:05, 2 January 2025

This article is about the mountain. For the Regional District, see Regional District of Mount Waddington, British Columbia. Mountain in British Columbia, Canada

Mount Waddington

Highest point
Elevation	4,019 m (13,186 ft)
Prominence	3,289 m (10,791 ft)
Listing	World most prominent peaks 63rd North America highest peaks 115th North America prominent peaks 12th North America isolated peaks 26th Canada highest major peaks 19th
Coordinates	51°22′25″N 125°15′48″W / 51.37361°N 125.26333°W / 51.37361; -125.26333
Naming
Native name	xʷoʔoxʷ (Comox)
Geography
Mount WaddingtonLocation in British Columbia

Interactive map of Mount Waddington
Location	British Columbia, Canada
District	Range 2 Coast Land District
Parent range	Waddington Range
Topo map	NTS 92N6 Mount Waddington
Climbing
First ascent	1936 by Fritz Wiessner and William House
Easiest route	Rock/ice climb

Mount Waddington, once known as Mystery Mountain, is the highest peak in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Although it is lower than Mount Fairweather and Mount Quincy Adams, which straddle the United States border between Alaska and British Columbia, Mount Waddington is the highest peak that lies entirely within British Columbia. It and the subrange which surround it, known as the Waddington Range, stand at the heart of the Pacific Ranges, a remote and extremely rugged set of mountains and river valleys.

It is not as far north as its extreme Arctic-like conditions might indicate, and Mount Waddington and its attendant peaks pose some of the most serious expedition mountaineering to be had in North America — and some of the most extreme relief and spectacular mountain scenery.

From Waddington's 4,019 m (13,186 ft) fang to sea level at the heads of Bute and Knight Inlets is only about 32 kilometers; across the 3,000-metre-deep (9,800 ft) gorges of the Homathko and the Klinaklini Rivers stand mountains almost as high, and icefields even vaster and whiter, only a few aerial miles away, with a maw deeper than the Grand Canyon, comparable in relief to the Himalayas (to which the terrain of British Columbia was compared by colonial-era travellers).

Mount Waddington is the namesake of the Mount Waddington Regional District, which takes in the seaward slope of the Waddington Range and the adjoining coastline and parts of northern Vancouver Island adjacent to Queen Charlotte Strait.

Discovery and exploration by Europeans

In 1925, while on a trip to Mount Arrowsmith, Vancouver Island, Don and Phyllis Munday spotted what they believed to be a peak taller than Mount Robson, the then accepted tallest peak entirely within British Columbia. In the words of Don Munday, "The compass showed the alluring peak stood along a line passing a little east of Bute Inlet and perhaps 150 miles away, where blank spaces on the map left ample room for many nameless mountains." While there is debate as to whether the peak they saw was Mount Waddington (Don Munday observed that the feat is impossible), they almost certainly saw a peak in the Waddington Range, and this led the Mundays to explore that area.

Over the next decade, the Mundays mounted several expeditions into the area in an attempt to climb it. Known to them as "The Mystery Mountain", in 1927 the height was measured at 13,260 feet by triangulation; they reached the lower, north-west, summit on 8 July 1928, deeming the main summit too risky. On their recommendation the Geographical Names Board of Canada named the peak Mount Waddington after Alfred Waddington who was a proponent of a road route, known as Waddington's Road, and again later the same for a railway, via the Homathko River valley and Bute Inlet, which would connect to Vancouver Island via Seymour Narrows.

In the summer of 1934, two expeditions attempted to climb the mountain. The first expedition, made up of climbers from Winnipeg, made their attempt on the northwestern flank which had not been explored by the Mundays. After crossing Tatlayoko Lake and making their way down the Homathko River, they then spent two days constructing a bridge over Nude Creek before reaching the Tiedemann Glacier on June 23. It took them three days to reach the shoulder of Mt. Waddington at 3,200 m (10,500 ft). They attempted the summit on June 28 but poor weather and route conditions on the final tower forced them to retreat, 180 m (590 ft) from the top. The second expedition, consisting of climbers Neal Carter, Alan Lambert, Alec Dalgleish and Eric Brooks from British Columbia, made their attempt from the southeast. On June 23, they established their base camp on the Franklin Glacier. The ascent abruptly ended three days later when Dalgleish fell to his death from the southeast ridge.

In 1935, a group of climbers from the Sierra Club of California made three attempts from their base camp at the Dais Glacier. The group failed in two attempts on the south face due to stormy conditions, poor route conditions and falling ice. Two climbers succeeded in reaching the northwest summit (first climbed by the Mundays) on a third attempt but proceeded no further.

First ascent

On July 4, 1936, Fritz Wiessner, Bill House, Elizabeth Woolsey and Alan Willcox reached the head of the Knight Inlet. For the next twelve days they ferried loads to their base camp at Icefall Point on the Dais Glacier. While on the glacier, they were joined by another expedition led by members of the British Columbia Mountaineering Club and the Sierra Club. Wiessner and House agreed to allow the others a first chance at the summit but this group failed to find a route up the south face.

On July 20, Wiessner and House first attempted the line of a great couloir that comes directly down between the main summit tower and the northwest peak. It was an excellent line for quickly ascending but they were unable to traverse onto the south face proper due to poor rock conditions and were forced to retreat to base camp. By 3 am the next morning they were already climbing up a couloir to the right of the face. Good weather the past few days had cleared most of the snow away from the ledges making for good climbing conditions. Following the left branch of the couloir, they reached a snow patch in the middle of the face. The final 1,000 ft (300 m) of the south face then presented a fierce hurdle of "sheer forbidding-looking rocks" as noted by Wiessner. While Wiessner initially started in boots, he quickly changed to rope-soled shoes and gave his ice axe and extra rope to House. Wiessner led several pitches up technically difficult rock including several overhangs. After traversing east across the face they rested on a ledge just below the southeastern ridge, a full 9 hours since leaving the snow patch on the south face. After climbing a short chimney they finally reached the small snowy mass at the top, 13 hours after their start in base camp. They aborted their earlier plan of descending the shorter north face and retraced their ascent line, reaching their tent on the Dais Glacier at 2 am. The ascent to the summit and back to base camp had taken over 23 hours.

Notable ascents

1936 South Face FA by Fritz Wiessner and Bill House.
1942 South Face 2nd ascent by Helmut and Fred Beckey.
1960 Bravo Glacier ascent by Elfrida Pigou who did not summit after being killed by an avalanche.
1977 South Face variation FA of route, 3rd ascent of south face by Jack Tackle and Kenneth Currens.
2012 Flavelle-Lane Route First solo ascent of the peak by Colin Haley.
2019 The first complete traverse of the West Ridge by Simon Richardson and Ian Welsted who completed a 12km traverse of Mount Waddington, starting from Fury Gap at its western end, crossing bith the north-west and main summits and finishing at Rainy Knob on the eastern side of the mountain.

Climate

The Waddington Range massif is known for fierce as well as unpredictable weather, located as it is at the brunt of the warm, wet winds that soak the British Columbia Coast, of which it is the highest point. Precipitation levels in the area of the peak are among the highest in the Coast Mountains. The peak has an ice cap climate (EF).

In 2010 and again in 2023, scientists successfully drilled ice cores at Combatant Col, the saddle between Mt. Waddington and Combatant Mountain, to obtain a climate and environmental record from the ice covering the last few hundred years. The 2023 core reached 219 meters in depth, at or near the base of the ice.

Climate data for Mount Waddington Peak 1981-2010 (51.372 -125.262)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−9.6 (14.7)	−10.4 (13.3)	−9.8 (14.4)	−8.5 (16.7)	−4.6 (23.7)	−2.1 (28.2)	1.0 (33.8)	1.7 (35.1)	−0.2 (31.6)	−4.8 (23.4)	−9.0 (15.8)	−9.9 (14.2)	−5.5 (22.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−12.6 (9.3)	−13.8 (7.2)	−13.6 (7.5)	−12.1 (10.2)	−8.1 (17.4)	−5.2 (22.6)	−2.1 (28.2)	−0.8 (30.6)	−2.3 (27.9)	−7.6 (18.3)	−12.2 (10.0)	−13.2 (8.2)	−8.6 (16.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−15.6 (3.9)	−17.3 (0.9)	−17.3 (0.9)	−15.7 (3.7)	−11.7 (10.9)	−8.3 (17.1)	−5.1 (22.8)	−3.2 (26.2)	−4.3 (24.3)	−10.3 (13.5)	−15.4 (4.3)	−16.5 (2.3)	−11.7 (10.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	592 (23.3)	382 (15.0)	403 (15.9)	349 (13.7)	123 (4.8)	115 (4.5)	130 (5.1)	144 (5.7)	164 (6.5)	676 (26.6)	721 (28.4)	586 (23.1)	4,385 (172.6)
Source: http://www.climatewna.com/ClimateBC_Map.aspx

Access

To reach Mount Waddington, one could take a long approach originating from Vancouver, with the bulk of the journey consisting of a long boat ride through the Strait of Georgia and the Knight Inlet, taking up to three days. A shorter water approach from Port McNeill, British Columbia, a northern community of Vancouver Island accessible by scheduled daily air connections and/or road from Victoria, reducing the water journey to less than a day may be undertaken.

Alternately trails and rough roads do exist from the Chilcotin side of the range, and may be accessed via BC Highway 20, from Williams Lake, departing from the main route to Bella Coola at Tatla Lake to connect to the Homathko River and up a side creek or glacier from there. This inland route is also the access route for the neighbouring Niut and Pantheon Ranges.

Mount Waddington is a popular destination among mountain climbers since it is the highest peak in the Coast Mountains and a challenging climb. It has been compared to Mont Blanc's structure.

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Latest revision as of 19:05, 2 January 2025

Discovery and exploration by Europeans

First ascent

Notable ascents

Climate

Access

See also

References

External links